By Saloum Sheriff Janko 

The World Food Programme in The Gambia joined their main office in Rome to  mourn seven staff members who lost their lives in the Ethiopian Airlines tragedy which occurred on Sunday. 

A statement released on Wednesday by the WFP Office in Rome states:   

“As we confront this terrible loss, we reflect that all these WFP colleagues were willing to travel and work far from their homes and loved ones to help make the world a better place to live in. That was their calling, as it is for the rest of the WFP family.

• Ekta Adhikari (28) from Nepal, whose duty station was Addis Ababa
• Maria Pilar Buzzetti (30) from Italy, duty station Rome
• Virginia Chimenti (26) from Italy, duty station Rome
• Harina Hafitz (59) from Indonesia, duty station Rome
• Zhen-Zhen Huang (46) from China, duty station Rome
• Michael Ryan (39) from Ireland, duty station Rome
• Djordje Vdovic (53) from Serbia, duty station Bangkok, on assignment to Rome 

“We also mourn the loss of our colleagues at other United Nations agencies and all of those who died in the crash. Among them was Victor Tsang, a former employee of WFP who moved to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). We ask that everyone keep those who lost loved ones in their thoughts and prayers

“The United Nations World Food Programme – saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.”

The Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday claimed the lives of 157 people from 35 different countries, some of whom were en route to a major UN-sponsored environmental conference in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The cause of the disaster remains unclear. However  according to the airlines the pilot had reported difficulties and had asked to return to Addis Ababa.